Table of Contents
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RedDot CMS Project Builder Training
Beginning Concepts
Privacy Policy
Confidential & Proprietary
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Disclaimer
The code and examples provided by the RedDot Education Center are not official components of the RedDot Content Management Server, RedDot LiveServer, or any product sold or supported by RedDot or Open Text. As such they are not supported or guaranteed by RedDot or Open Text. Before using any of the code or examples, read the documentation carefully.
Version
7.5.1.2008.05.27
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Please direct any questions to: RedDot Solutions Corporation One Battery Park Plaza New York, NY 10004 T) 212-425-3988 F) 212-425-3987
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Table Of Contents
Introduction to CMS Project Builder Training ... 1
What is Content Management? ... 1
RedDot CMS Concepts ... 2
Content Editing ... 2
Administration ... 3
Server Management ... 4
Training Concepts and Components ... 4
System Architecture ... 6
Logging In ... 7
Logon to RedDot CMS ... 7
Administering CMS Server Manager ... 11
Server Manager: Purpose... 11
Server Manager: Interface Components ... 12
Creating, Importing and Exporting Projects ... 15
Create a Project ... 15
Exporting a Project ... 18
Import a Project ... 20
Remove Project Lock ... 22
Creating Users ... 23
Definition of a User ... 23
Create User ... 24
Creating Groups ... 28
Create New Group ... 28
Add Users to Groups ... 30
In the Role of an Editor ... 32
Import Project ... 32
SmartEdit Interface ... 35
Top Menu in SmartEdit Mode ... 38
Left Menu in SmartEdit Mode ... 39
Administering Projects: SmartTree ... 41
SmartTree Mode - Interface Components ... 43
Left Menu Buttons in SmartTree Mode ... 45
Main Menu Buttons in SmartTree Mode ... 45
Clipboard ... 46
Content Class and Page Essentials ... 47
Definition of a Content Class and Pages ... 47
Definition of Template ... 49
Using Content Classes to Create Pages ... 50
Different general types of Content Classes ... 52
Folders and the Asset Manager ... 54
Asset (File) Folders ... 54
Create Project Folders ... 55
Content Class Folders ... 65
Create Content Class Folders ... 65
External File System Folders ... 68
Stylesheet Folders ... 68
Templates and Template Editor ... 70
Configure Template ... 70
Template Editor Interface ... 71
Placeholder Types ... 72
Content Elements ... 72
Structural Elements ... 87
Block Mark Types ... 93
Repeating or Looping Block Marks ... 93
Single Block Marks ... 94
Create CMS Design Patterns Project ... 95
Create New Project ... 96
Connect to New Project ... 99
Create Asset Manager Folder for Images ... 102
Import Images into Asset Manager ... 104
Create Asset Manager Folder for Downloadable Content ... 106
Import Files into Asset Manager ... 107
Table of Contents Pattern ... 108
Create Table of Contents Content Class ... 109
Add SmartEdit Support for Table of Contents ... 117
Create Table of Contents Page ... 119
Simple Teaser Pattern ... 122
Create Simple Teaser Content Class ... 123
Add SmartEdit Support for Simple Teaser ... 128
Create Document With Teaser Content Class ... 130
Add SmartEdit Support for Document with Teaser ... 134
Create Simple Teaser Page ... 135
Create Document With Teaser Pages ... 138
Complex Teaser Pattern ... 146
Create Complex Teaser Content Class ... 146
Add SmartEdit Support for Complex Teaser ... 151
Create Complex Teaser Page ... 152
Connect Document With Teaser Pages ... 153
Page Organizer Pattern ... 155
Create Page Organizer Content Class ... 156
Add SmartEdit Support for Page Organizer ... 158
Create Ad Block With List Content Class ... 159
Add SmartEdit Support for Ad Block With List... 161
Create Ad Block With Image Content Class ... 162
Add SmartEdit Support for Ad Block With Image ... 164
Create Page Definition for Page Organizer ... 164
Preassign Content Classes for Ad Block ... 166
Create Page Organizer Page ... 167
Create Pages for Ad Block ... 168
Download Organizer Pattern ... 175
Create Download Item Content Class ... 175
Create Download Organizer Content Class ... 178
Add SmartEdit Support for Download Organizer ... 184
Preassign Content Class for Download List ... 185
Create Download Organizer Page ... 185
FAQ Organizer Pattern ... 188
Create FAQ Item Content Class ... 188
Create FAQ Organizer Content Class ... 190
Add SmartEdit Support for FAQ Organizer ... 195
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Configure Foundation as Master Page ... 204
Create Navigation Content Class ... 205
Create Navigation Area ... 205
Create Foundation Page... 207
Build Navigation Structure ... 208
Create Additional Foundation Pages ... 210
Patterns Worksheet ... 213
Table of Contents ... 213
Exercise 1, Part 1 ... 215
Exercise 1, Part 2 ... 217
Exercise 2 ... 219
Exercise 3 ... 221
Exercise 4 ... 224
Exercise 5 ... 229
Exercise 6 ... 232
Glossary of RedDots ... 236
Introduction to CMS Project Builder Training
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Introduction to CMS Project
Builder Training
Objectives
What is Content Management? RedDot CMS Concept
Training Concept and Components
What is Content Management?
For virtually any company, the internet presence and/or the running of an intranet have become part of day-to-day life. The web server has become the hub for customer and employee information. However, the growth of the number of documents and HTML webpages being created has introduced its own problems. The effort required to manually maintain data and links has increased exponentially to the amount of documents.
This is where a Content Management System fits in to the equation. A Content Management System enables the systematic editing of internal and external information. As it is distributed over a standardized medium (web browser), employees are able to work with greater efficiency and productivity for the benefit of the company.
By breaking down management roles into Editors and Administrators of the system, and providing different interfaces for both, RedDot CMS allows everyone involved in content management to efficiently accomplish their tasks.
The RedDot Content Management System helps to manage professional websites, by supporting the automatic creation, management and organization of content by integrating the following functionality.
• Document management, enabling the administration of large numbers of documents and publications
• Centralized management of the content layout, look and feel • Decentralized content creation
• Separation of content and layout
• Link management to ensure valid hyperlinks • Workflow – managing work and business processes • Managing User authority and general access rights • Import interface for the integration of available data • Publishing interface to one or more web servers
The most important aspect central to a web project that is managed by a Content Management System is the separation of layout and content.
In many instances the layout is predetermined by an organization's corporate design. As a result is rarely necessary to re-design the layout of every single document. However, it does mean that if the corporate design changes – it will have to change over hundreds or thousands of webpages. Without centralized layout management, this would be an enormous amount of work
RedDot CMS Concepts
RedDot CMS consists of a content editing system, an administration system, and a server management system.
Content Editing
In the traditional world of webpage production, an HTML editor produces content as well as layout. The creation of webpages is normally achieved using a graphical HTML editing tool. In this classical model the HTML editor can only produce complete webpages where both layout and content are simultaneously managed. This requires considerable effort.
The RedDot CMS Editor works purely with the content of a webpage. An Editor in RedDot CMS is anyone and everyone who publishes content on an intra/internet. The CMS Editor not only creates new content such as text, images etc, but is responsible for re-using existing content.
RedDot CMS provides Editors with an optimized working environment. The RedDot CMS editing system is based on the RedDot SmartEdit™ Technology.
SmartEdit Technology enables users to easily create and change content. With SmartEdit Technology, complex websites and intranets can be managed in a simple manner. Editors simply surf to the webpages they want to add, edit, or delete content. Red dots appear and indicate the areas where changes can be made. RedDot SmartEdit is so simple and intuitive that site Editors can learn to use it without extensive training – resulting in rapid acceptance among users and a fast return on investment.
SmartEdit Mode is a What You See is What You Get or WYSIWYG interface. This means that Editors create and modify content while working in an environment that looks like the webpage they are working on. The red dots control access to certain portions of the site, and allow access to elements that they can change.
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Since Editors are only allowed to change specifically configured content, you can enforce the layout of the site. This also means that the Editors do not need any HTML or web knowledge. As long as they can navigate, click, and enter content, they can work with this interface. RedDot CMS provides interfaces for editing many kinds of content, from media and images, to option lists and rich text. Since the RedDot CMS interface is browser-based, there is no need to install any client software. You have access control through Workflow and Authorizations. If multiple users try to edit the same content, the first User will get access and the remainder will not be able to click the red dots, receiving a message that the initial User is editing the Page. These functionalities add up to an extremely robust editing environment.Administration
A RedDot CMS Administrator has the responsibility of ensuring that the Editors are presented with an optimized production process, so that the work processes are executed as smoothly as possible. A number of tools are available to enable the Administrator build and manage a website or intranet project. The interface for this administration is called RedDot SmartTree Mode.
Server Management
A RedDot CMS Server Manager has the responsibility for maintaining several aspects of the installation. Server Managers create Users, Groups and Projects. They also configure server settings such as license keys and mail server.
The aim of this course is to give RedDot Content Management Server Administrators a complete understanding of the components and functionality of the RedDot Content Management Server (CMS) software, and to apply this knowledge to real-life situations.
Training Concepts and Components
Since each Administrator of RedDot CMS may have different needs, the topics of this training are organized into modules. A module is a lesson on a particular topic.
While most modules contain exercises that you should complete, some are only for explanation and reference.
To help you plan your approach, the modules can be broken down into four basic groups:
Beginning Concepts
These topics get you started with RedDot CMS. You learn how to log in, create Users and Groups, manage the server and configure a Project. These are largely explanatory modules, designed to give you a feel for the interface. You should be able to complete this module in about 1-2 hours.
Template Basics
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Training Website: EduSite
This is a full website that applies the concepts covered in Template Basics to a single website. In addition, this site covers CMS features that provide an enormous amount of functionality and greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation. Depending on how many of the exercises you attempt, you should be able to complete this module in about 1.5 - 2 days.
Workshop: BizCom
This is a full website that utilizes many of the concepts covered in the Template Basics and EduSite, but is an independent Project. You can use this site to replace some of the EduSite exercises as well. Depending on how many of the exercises you attempt, you should be able to complete this group in about 1 - 1.5 days. Please keep in mind that there are a large number of factors determining how long it takes to complete a Module and you should use these estimates only in very general terms.
You must complete the Beginning Concepts and Template Basics before moving to the other groups. EduSite builds on the Core, introducing more complex, advanced and important concepts. The Workshop reiterates much of the content in the Template Basics and EduSite, but the Project is larger and more challenging. Many of the concepts in the EduSite Project are expanded in the Workshop.
The SmartEdit concept is what makes RedDot CMS such a useful tool for content Editors. Configuring a site with this SmartEdit functionality is the job of the RedDot CMS Administrator (you). The role of the RedDot CMS Administrator requires web development experience and a solid knowledge of HTML. You must integrate your site by breaking it down into editable components that the Editors can access and reuse. This process takes several days to learn, but once you have learned it, you will be ready to begin implementing your Project.
Once the Project is built, you will need to educate your Users on how to work with the SmartEdit system. This is a simple process and we will show you several techniques for doing this.
As you go through these exercises keep in mind that you are trying to learn a toolkit: a set of methods that you have available for completing all the tasks that need to be done. We will try to show you as many methods as possible, but more importantly, we will try to show you how to come up with your own.
Your job is to get RedDot Content Management integrated with a website, and you will learn how to do that. Let's get started.
System Architecture
Objectives
• Physical RedDot CMS Components • Technical Overview
Especially for those who will administer RedDot CMS, it is important to understand the system architecture. RedDot CMS is a staging environment, meaning it is separate from the live web server.
RedDot CMS resides on a Windows 2000/2003 server. To store information, it uses an MS SQL or ORACLE database. RedDot CMS uses client-server architecture. This means that users of RedDot CMS (Authors, Administrators, etc.) all connect to a single server when working. The architecture can be seen in the sketch below.
Access to RedDot CMS is through a web browser over IIS. The RedDot CMS Graphical User Interface (GUI) is displayed in the browser itself. As a result, it is not necessary to install any client software or download any applets. This means that any computer that has a browser installed can be a RedDot CMS Client. Users of RedDot CMS log in to the system via their web browser. Once logged in, they can complete any tasks necessary for editing or administering content.
RedDot CMS can integrate users from LDAP or NTDomain. It can read and write content from external database sources as well.
Since the RedDot CMS is not inherently connected to the live web server, and pushes content to the web by publishing and generating static files, RedDot CMS is a staging environment. All content, once published, does not reference RedDot CMS in any way.
The live server or production server is not a component of RedDot CMS. RedDot CMS can publish to any web server, such as Apache, MS IIS, or Netscape.
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Logging In
Objectives
• Log on to RedDot CMS • Explore Left Menu • Open Server Manager
Before you can do anything in RedDot CMS, you need to log in to the system. Your User name and password are usually specific to RedDot CMS, but this can be synchronized with your NT Domain or LDAP server as well.
Logon to RedDot CMS
1. Log in to RedDot CMS by navigating to the URL of your RedDot CMS Server, which usually looks like:
http://hostname/CMS/.2. Enter the User Name and Password provided to you.
The default is admin for both.3. Click Start to log in.
Once you log in, you will usually see the Web Content Management Homepage. This is the central menu for all the tasks that you have within RedDot CMS. You can instantly see if there is anything that you have waiting to be completed.
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Homepage
This is what you are currently looking at.
Web Content Manager
Once you have selected a Project that you would like to work on, this button will take you to that specific Project. You do not have to select a Project every time you log in. RedDot CMS remembers the last Project you worked on.
Asset Manager
This is a repository for your digital assets within the Project that you are working on. You can use the link here to populate the Asset Manager with files, or simply browse. We will discuss the configuration of the Asset Manager in detail shortly.
Main Menu
This option contains several sub options which are very important. These sub options are:
Projects
This screen allows you to choose the Project you wish to work on. A Project generally corresponds to a website.
User
Settings
You can change your User information here, as well as your preferred editing mode.
Server
Manager
You will have this option if you have been configured as a Server Administrator. We will cover the Server Manager in detail shortly. Some of the tasks of the Server Administrator are creating and managing Users, Projects, Groups, licenses, and server maintenance
In the main screen you may notice some grayed-out options. These options are the features of our XCMS components, which provide additional Document Manager, Business Process Manager, Collaboration, and Search capabilities. These components are not included as part of this course. Since we cannot do anything else until we set up a real User and create a Project to work on, we need to select Server Manager first.
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Administering CMS Server
Manager
Objectives
• Purpose of Server Manager
• Explanation of Interface Components
Using the Server Manager, System Administrators can manage all server settings. For example,
Administrators can delete, import, and copy Projects, add Users and Groups, or configure the RedDot CMS database.
Server Manager: Purpose
Once logged in, the RedDot Server Manager can be selected from the Main Menu button. While there are no specific tasks you will complete right now, we suggest that you follow along so that you can get a feel for the interface.
The Server Manager is organized as a tree, with branches that correspond to different types of areas that you can manage. You can navigate through this central tree by clicking the to expand a node. You can collapse a node with the icon. This tree structure will let you quickly find whatever you are looking for. To the right of the tree is the Action Menu. For any object selected in the tree, you will be presented with a list of possible actions that can be performed on or from this item. This menu is context-sensitive, meaning you will only be shown actions for the selected object.
Underneath the Action Menu is the Clipboard. Double-clicking on a tree entry will paste the entry to the Clipboard. This entry can then be referenced, copied and used at other positions in the tree. The Clipboard will retain its contents as part of the Project state, so your Clipboard will not change after log out. The arrow next to the check box in the Clipboard will locate and display the selected object in the tree. The use of the Clipboard will be discussed in later exercises.
Server Manager: Interface Components
Let's look at the tree in detail. It is broken down into several branches, each with a different group of functionality. These groups are:
Administer RedDot Content Servers
This manages the various connections to RedDot CMS. You can use this area to change the license of the server, configure mail server settings, set up session timeouts, view certain processes and several others.
Administer Users and Groups
This area allows you to manage the Users and Groups. You can view these by Project and globally. Users can be imported from LDAP or NT Domain as well as managed by RedDot CMS.
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Administer Projects
This area allow you to manage the Projects on this and other CMS servers. You can create, copy, import, export and delete Projects. Projects roughly correspond to a website.
Administer XCMS Projects
In addition to the basic Web Content Management functionality, we offer XCMS add-ons that provide a Document Manager, a Business Process Manager, Collaboration and Search capabilities. These components are not included as part of this course.
Administer Plug-Ins
Using the RedDot CMS API, you can build your own functionality in the RedDot CMS interface for you and your Users. This area allows you to import and configure these Plug-Ins.
Administer Database Servers
This section allows you to manage the connectivity to the RedDot CMS databases. You can also configure external database drivers so that you can read content from these external sources.
Administer User-Defined Jobs
You can create your own procedures and schedule them within RedDot CMS. This allows you to launch scheduled tasks using the RedDot CMS API or with calls to external procedures or scripts. You can use this to automate backup or cleanup jobs and many others.
Creating, Importing and Exporting Projects
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Creating, Importing and Exporting
Projects
Objectives
• Definition of a Project • Create a New Project
• Learn to Import and Export Projects
A Project is a collection of all the information involved in setting up a website to be content managed. This incorporates everything needed to build webpages, define settings, publish information, Workflows, Authorizations, etc.
In general, although information can be shared between Projects, everything that shares a similar look and feel should be in the same Project.
Create a Project
In order to integrate your site with RedDot CMS, you will need to create a Project.
1. Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
2. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
3. Expand the section Administer Projects.
4. Select the Projects node.
5. Click the link Create Project from the Action Menu.
6. In the field Project name enter a name for the Project, RedDot CMS Training Project.
The Database name will automatically become the same as the Project name.The option box Activate versioning determines whether versioning should be activated for the Project. This is necessary for Redlining to work, and to be able to roll back to previous versions of Pages. This is checked by default.
The RedDot content server is the location where RedDot CMS Professional is installed. Unless the RedDot CMS installation is a server cluster, there will be only one choice here. If there are more, consult the System Administrator.
The Database server is the server containing the RedDot CMS database, and should be left at the default value.
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7. The Language Variant should be set to United States.
The option boxes refer to folders that will be created in the Project database for storing Assets and Content Classes (the blueprints for webpages in the site). These folders can be modified, and more can be created in the Project interface. Leave the default values.
8. Uncheck the Publishing target.
This will be configured individually for the Project.
Once the Create Project screen disappears it may take a few moments for the Project to show up in the list. The Project listing will not automatically refresh so you may want to wait a minute, then collapse and expand the listing. The Project should be visible. If the Project has a label next to it saying it is locked, this means it is still being created. Wait another minute, collapse and expand the node again.
9. To get to the Project, click the Homepage button in the Left Menu → Main Menu button → Projects link.
Your Project should be in this listing as a link.NOTE
Although you should not complete the following steps at this time, they are included so that you will have them for reference.
Exporting a Project
All RedDot CMS Projects can be exported as a folder in the file system. This allows you to back up Projects and move them to other servers.
1. Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
2. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
3. Expand the section Administer Projects.
4. Expand the Projects node.
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6. Click Export Project from the Action Menu.
7. Click Search to set up an export folder.
8. In the screen that appears, navigate to the desired location by clicking on the names of drives and
folders.9. In the input box, enter the name of the directory to store the export to.
10. Click Create Directory.
11. Select your new directory with the radio button and click OK.
12. Click OK.
If your email functionality is enabled you will be emailed when the export is complete. If not, please wait a few minutes and it should be finished.
Import a Project
1. Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
2. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
3. Expand the section Administer Projects.
4. Select the Projects node.
5. Select Import Project.
On the screen that appears, name the Project as desired. The database name will change automatically.
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6. Click the Search link to choose the source.
This folder should be the result of an Export Project.
7. Browse to the desired folder by clicking the drive and folder names.
8. Select the desired folder with the radio button.
Note that administrative settings such as Users and Groups can be imported and exported as well.
9. Click OK.
Remove Project Lock
All imported Projects will be locked against publication to prevent them from starting their publishing jobs. Please review Publishing to get more information on what this means.
1. Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
2. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
3. Expand the section Administer Projects.
4. Expand the Projects node.
5. Choose the Project you want to unlock.
6. In Edit Project Lock check Unrestricted release of project.
7. Click OK.
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Creating Users
Objectives
• Definition of a User • Create a New User • User Licenses and Roles
Anyone who is a part of the Content Management process needs to be a RedDot CMS User. This gives them a login, as well as access to certain Projects, license levels to control that access, and roles within the individual Projects. Each User can also choose the language of the interface, and several other features of their environment.
Definition of a User
Users can have several types of License levels:Administrator - This User can configure every aspect of a Project and works in SmartTree Mode. Template Editor - This is an add-on to the Administrator license that gives the User access to change and create Content Classes.
Server Manager - This is an add-on to the Administrator that allows the User access to the Server Manager (used to configure Projects, Users, etc.)
Editor - This User can configure the content of a Project and works in SmartEdit Mode. Translation Editor - This is an add-on to the Editor (Administrator as well) license that gives the User a special view for translating the contents of Projects.
Visitor - This User can preview a site, but has no access to change the content.
Based on the License level, the User then has roles within each Project to which they are assigned. Administrator - This license breaks down into two roles.
Administrator - This role can change every setting of a Project
Site Builder - This role can work in SmartTree Mode, but can not change higher-level Project settings.
Editor - This license breaks down into two roles.
Editor - This role can use all functionality in SmartEdit Mode. Author - This role can not be an approver in a Workflow. Visitor - This license is the same as the role.
Users are found in the Administer Users and Groups branch of the Server Manager. This branch allows the Administrator to create new Users with different access privileges to a Project.
User/Groups by Projects - This view will enable the Administrator to configure Users and Groups related to specific Projects.
Directory Services - This allows Administrators to configure a User import from an external User server.
Users - This allows Administrators to create and configure Users. Groups - This allows Administrators to maintain the Groups globally.
All imported Projects will be locked against publication to prevent them from starting their Publishing jobs. Please review Publishing to get more information on what this means.
Create User
A created User must have the following assigned information: • User Details (Name, Password, E-mail)
• Project(s) assigned
• Group Membership (if necessary) • Authority (License Level)
• Project Role
1. Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu .
2. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
3. Expand Administer Users and Groups, and select Users.
4. Click Create User in the Action Menu.
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8. Enter the E-Mail Address in the appropriate field, as RedDot CMS needs this to enable the Workflow
facility to function.
E-Mail notifications can also be sent in response to certain tasks. This is extremely useful for notifying Administrators and Users without requiring them to log on.
If the User has been brought into RedDot CMS via an external directory service, the service will appear in the drop-down list, e.g. LDAP, NT Domain. This lets you know that the User account is not being set from within RedDot CMS. You will only use RedDot to configure the license level and Project settings for the User. Since you are creating a User within RedDot CMS, the directory service will be set to RedDot, meaning all aspects of the User account are controlled within RedDot CMS.
9. In the Password field choose a password for logging on to RedDot CMS.
The password can be changed at a later date. Use alphanumeric characters. Spaces and special characters are not allowed. The minimum is four characters.
10. Choose an Interface Language from the dropdown list..
11. Choose an appropriate Locale.
This will be used to control certain character and format settings.
12. You can choose the mode for editing content in SmartEdit Mode as default or pop-up.
The left and top menus are not a part of the interface in the pop-up view, rather, each option from the top menu and the Left Menu is available with a right mouse-click.
13. For now, leave this option, SmartEdit navigation as Default.
14. Click on Next. (Clicking OK will save the User, and the User will need to be selected and edited to
complete the configuration)SmartTree
This allows you to administer and configure Projects. Check this option.
SmartEdit
This is the standard editing interface. Since this is a more restrictive interface, you will automatically be granted this once you check SmartTree.
Template
Editor
This can be given to SmartTree Users, allowing you to edit Content Classes and their Templates (layouts). Check this option.
Translation
Editor
This is a special interface for SmartEdit Users, allowing them the more easily translate the content in Pages between different languages. Check this option.
Server
Manager
This is what you are using right now to administer RedDot CMS. Check this option.
Asset
Manager
This allows you to use a special interface for managing digital assets like images and media files. Check this option.
Document Manager, Collaboration Manager, Business Process
Manager
These are grayed-out. They are the add-on components of XCMS, and grant additional Content Management functionality. They are not part of this course.
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16. Assign the User to the Project you just created, RedDot CMS Training Project. The Roles are as
follows:
•
Ad
- This role can change every setting of a Project.•
Si
- This role can work in SmartTree Mode, but can not change higher-level Project settings. •Ed
- This role can use all functionality in SmartEdit Mode.•
Au
- This role can not be an approver in a Workflow. •Vi
- This role has no editing capability, only a preview.•
TP
- This role allows you to edit Content Classes and their Templates (layouts). •TL
- This role grants access to the translation interface.Set the Roles to Administrator (Ad) and enable the Template Editor (TP) and Translation Editor(TL).
17. Click on OK. The User is complete.
18. Log off and log back on with your new trainee User.
For later exercises, you will need a few more Users. You can create these Users now. Using the steps outlined above, create a User named trainingEditor, license level SmartEdit/Asset Manager, role of Ed. Create another User named trainingApprover, license level SmartEdit/Asset Manager, role of Ed. Both Users should be assigned to the RedDot CMS Training Project.
Creating Groups
Objectives
• Definition of a Group • Create a New Group • Add Users to Groups
Groups are used to organize users for the purposes of Authorizations and Workflow. Groups contain a number of Users. When Authorizations and Workflows are applied to each Group, they will cascade to the Users in the Group. This allows you to create fewer Authorizations and Workflow packages, since you can apply them to Groups instead of individual Users.
Groups are server-wide and can be a part of multiple Projects.
Create New Group
To create the Groups you will need for your Project:
1. Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
2. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
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4. Find and expand Users/Groups by Projects.
5. Find the RedDot CMS Training Project that you created, expand it.
6. Select Groups.
7. Click Create Group in the Action Menu.
8. Name the Group Training.Administrators.
You can fill in an email address for the Group if you want. Note that Groups can have a single email address, which is usually configured on the main server as an alias to certain members of the Group. Click OK.
Add Users to Groups
1. Locate your current User under the Users node of the Project instead of the Groups node.
2. Put your User into the Clipboard by double-clicking it.
3. Expand the Groups node of your Project.
4. Select the Training.Administrators Group.
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5. Click Connect to Users in Clipboard.
This will put your User into this Group.
Using the above steps create a new Group called Training.Editors and add the trainingEditor User you created previously to this Group.
6. Using the above steps, create a new Group called Training.Approvers and add the trainingApprover
User you created previously to this Group.In the Role of an Editor
Objectives
• Explore SmartEdit Interface • Import a Project
Before you can become a RedDot CMS Administrator, it is important for you to gain a better understanding of the role of an Editor in a Project and to start thinking about how you can configure your Project to accommodate more efficient content editing.
We have provided you with a sample Project that has already been completed. You will import this Project and then take a few minutes to navigate though it as an Editor. Imagine that you have been given the task of creating a new press release and changing some content in the existing ones. Are you able to do it? You should use this as an opportunity to appreciate the viewpoint of an Editor, someone with no HTML
knowledge, someone who only knows that they need to modify the content of their site.
Once you have imported the Project, click through the links and the red dots as an Editor would. Is this site easy to navigate? Is there a clear correlation between a dot and its function? Are there directions for everything, or are certain functions unclear? Remember that the goal of this Project is to set up a site in such a way that anyone can contribute content, regardless of technical background, but in such a way that the site layout is maintained and checks are placed on content.
One of the main points of the training Project is to illustrate that there are many ways of accomplishing the same task in RedDot CMS. Much of the time, choosing a method is limited by the specifics of the situation or by personal preference. Some of the training sections are not set up in the best way. Think about this while navigating the Project. How can the site structure be improved? What other ways are there to accomplish a given task? The training Project is designed to teach as many different techniques as possible so that every option will be available to you.
Import Project
Using the steps provided below, Import the sample Project. Once the Import is complete (the link to the Project in the Component Manager will be clickable), select the Project and enter in SmartEdit Mode. To Import the sample Project:
Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
1. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
2. Expand the section Administer Projects.
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3. Select the Projects node.
4. Select Import Project.
5. On the screen that appears, name the Project RedDot CMS Training Sample.
The database name will change automatically.6. Click the Search link to choose the source.
This folder should be the result of a Project Export.
7. Browse to the CMSTrainingExport folder by clicking the drive and folder names.
8. Select the desired folder with the radio button.
Note that administrative settings such as Users and Groups can be imported and exported as well.
9. Click OK.
10. Click OK to complete the Import.
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SmartEdit Interface
All imported Projects will be locked against publication to prevent them from starting their publishing jobs.
1. To remove the lock, select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
2. Click Server Manager in the pop-up window.
3. Expand the section Administer Projects.
4. Expand the Projects node.
5. Choose the Project you want to unlock, RedDot CMS Training Sample.
6. Select Edit Project Lock, and set it to Unrestricted release of project.
7. Click OK.
The lock will be removed and the Project can be published.
8. Click the Homepage button in the Left Menu.
10. Select the Projects Menu.
11. Select RedDot CMS Training Sample.
12. Click OK.
13. The Homepage for the Project appears.
14. Click Web Content Manager in the Left Menu to enter SmartTree Mode.
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15. Click the SmartEdit button in the Left Menu to begin editing content.
16. Navigate through the site as you would a normal website.
17. You can open Pages for editing by clicking the
red dot.18. Then click the newly appearing red dots to edit the specific content.
Make changes to the content. See what parts of the interface make sense, and what doesn't. This will help you understand the kinds of questions your Editors may ask.
Top Menu in SmartEdit Mode
When a Page is opened for editing, you will see a Top Menu.In the Role of an Editor
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These functions will be covered in detail within their relevant exercises. While most of these functions will not make sense yet, here is a general outline of their purpose:Properties
You can change the published filename of the Page, and some of its identifiers.
Actions
You can edit content, publish, delete, approve, and preview Pages here.
Linking
You can set up schedules and content rotation here.
Keywords
You can assign keywords to Pages, enabling the reuse of content.
Notes
This is used to leave notes about the Page for other Users.
Page Information
This will tell you all sorts of information about the Page, such as who created it, when it was created, etc.
Left Menu in SmartEdit Mode
In SmartEdit Mode, the Left Menu contains additional buttons.These are:
Homepage
This is the central menu for all the tasks that you have within RedDot CMS. You can instantly see if there is anything that you have waiting to be completed.
SmartEdit
This switched you to the editing mode.
SmartTree
This is the current view. This is not available to normal Editors.
Translation Editor
If you are configured as a Translator for this Project, you can use this button to access the Translation interface.
Search
This allows you to search for Pages in the Project based on a large number of criteria.
Tasks
This brings up a listing of all Pages that you need to take some action on before they can be published. •
Main Menu
- This launches the Main Menu. The options in the menu are described below. •Help
- This launches the help window. You can use this to get more information about anyoption in RedDot CMS.
•
Language
- This is a dropdown list that allows you to switch between the available languages in the Project.•
Log off
- End your RedDot CMS Session. The Main Menu window also has some additional items.•
Projects
- This screen allows you to choose the Project you wish to work on. A Project generally corresponds to a website.•
User Settings
- You can change your User information here, as well as your preferred editing mode.•
Server Manager
- You will have this option if you have been configured as a Server Administrator. We will cover the Server Manager in detail shortly. Some of the tasks of the Server Administrator are creating and managing Users, Projects, Groups, licenses and server maintenance.•
New Page
- This will create a new Page in the Project, but will not attach it to any link. We do not recommend that you use this feature.•
Categories and Keywords
- This allows you to configure the Categories and Keywords feature. This is covered in a later exercise. This feature is not available to Editors. •Display Settings
- This allows you to switch the current version of the site. For example,if you have an HTML and Print version of the site, you can use this area to switch the view between them.
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Administering Projects: SmartTree
Objectives
• Explanation of SmartTree Interface Components
SmartTree Mode is the administrative access for a Project. It is broken into branches that represent different functional areas of a Project. Now that you have created a new User and Project, you can begin to work on building the pieces of the Project. This means you will need to become familiar with the areas of SmartTree Mode. Knowing how to navigate this mode is essential to being able to properly integrate a website.
Navigate to SmartTree Mode for your Project as follows:
1. Select the Main Menu button in the Left Menu.
2. Click the Projects link.
3. Select the RedDot CMS Training Project.
4. Click OK.
6. Click Web Content Manager in the Left Menu to enter SmartTree Mode.
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SmartTree Mode - Interface Components
The different components of SmartTree Mode will be covered in detail when the relevant portions are being used in the exercises. Here is an overview of the different branches:
Administer Project Settings
Change the general configuration and setup of Project variants, language variants, folders, databases and publishing destinations. Also view all authorization, Workflow, and publishing packages.
Administer Content Classes
Administer Project Publication
Configure the general settings for publishing a Project. Configure scheduled publishing jobs. Alter the process of existing jobs and read or delete job reports.
Browse Navigation
Browse only the navigational components of the Project. No Pages will be shown. This will be useful later, once you have built up some of the Project Structure.
Administer Project Structure
Build the structure of the Project. Configure the Pages and links. Since this is a new Project, There are no Pages to look at here.
Compare this tree structure with the tree in RedDot CMS Training Sample. Specifically look at the Content Classes and the Project Structure. This will give you an idea of what the finished Project will look like.
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Left Menu Buttons in SmartTree Mode
•
Homepage
- This is the central menu for all the tasks that you have within RedDot CMS. You can instantly see if there is anything that you have waiting to be completed.•
SmartEdit
- This switched you to the editing mode.•
SmartTree
- This is the current view. This is not available to normal Editors.•
Translation
Editor
- If you are configured as a Translator for this Project, you can use this button to access the Translation interface.•
Search
- This allows you to search for Pages in the Project based on a large number of criteria.•
Tasks
- This brings up a listing of all Pages that you need to take some action on before they can be published.•
Main
Menu
- This launches the Main Menu. The options in the menu are described below. •Help
- This launches the help window. You can use this to get more information about anyoption in RedDot CMS.
•
Language
- This is a dropdown list that allows you to switch between the available languages in the Project.•
Log
off
- End your RedDot CMS Session.Main Menu Buttons in SmartTree Mode
•
Projects
- This screen allows you to choose the Project you wish to work on. A Project generally corresponds to a website.•
User
Settings
- You can change your User information here, as well as your preferred editing mode.•
Server
Manager
- You will have this option if you have been configured as a Server Administrator. We will cover the Server Manager in detail shortly. Some of the tasks of the Server Administrator are creating and managing Users, Projects, Groups, licenses, and server maintenance.•
New
Page
- This will create a new Page in the Project, but will not attach it to any link. We do not recommend that you use this feature.•
Categories
and
Keywords
- This allows you to configure the Categories and Keywords feature. This is covered in a later exercise. This feature is not available to Editors. •Display
Settings
- This allows you to switch the current version of the site. For example,if you have an HTML and Print version of the site, you can use this area to switch the view between them.
To the right of the tree is the Action Menu. For any object selected in the tree, you will be presented with a list of possible actions that can be performed on or from this item. This menu is context-sensitive, meaning you will only be shown actions for the selected object.
Clipboard
Underneath the Action Menu is the Clipboard. Double-clicking on a tree entry will paste the entry to the Clipboard.
This entry can then be referenced, copied, or otherwise used at other positions in the tree. The Clipboard will retain its contents as part of the Project state, so your Clipboard will not change after log out. The arrow next to the check box in the Clipboard will locate and display the selected object in the tree. The use of the Clipboard will be discussed in later exercises.
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Content Class and Page
Essentials
Objectives
• Definition of a Content Class • Definition of Page
• Definition of Template
• Using Content Classes to create Pages • Different general types of Content Classes
Definition of a Content Class and Pages
Content Classes are sets of information that describe different types of data that can be in a RedDot CMS web Project. Consider web content such as a list of webpages linked in a left navigation.
The content of this section can be broken down into a few different pieces:
There is the content that must be edited by an Author, such as the text and images.
There is another structural component that provides the overall webpage layout.
There may be other components, such as information blocks in the right column of the webpage, headers, footers, and the components described above may break down into several smaller components.
Each component of the site can have a Content Class which defines the type of content that makes up that component. A Content Class is like a blueprint for the content of a webpage or a piece of a webpage. It contains all the design information, layout information, some administrative information, and the
specifications for the content that belongs to that piece. It does not contain any content of its own.
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The specification for a single content element is called a Placeholder or Element. Each Content Class can contain as many Placeholders as desired. Placeholders have a variety of types and settings that allow the Administrators to control the content that can belong to a Content Class.
A Content Class is used to create Instances, which do have content, and are based on the specifications of the Content Class. Instances each have their own unique set of content. Instances are also called Pages. Each Page contains the content stored in its Placeholders, plus three identifiers:
•
Globally Unique ID (GUID)
- This is a large string that is generated when the Page is created. It is not editable.•
Page ID
- This is an integer representing the order the Page was created in the Project. It is not editable.•
Headline
- This identifies the Page in the Project. It is not Page content, but you can choose to display it on a Page. It is non-unique, and entered by whoever creates the Page.Definition of Template
In order for Instances to be useful in a website, they must have a layout that organizes the Placeholders into a recognizable form, such as HTML. To accomplish this, a Content Class must have a Template.
Templates define layouts for the content in a Content Class. Each Content Class can have multiple Templates. This allows the content to be published in multiple formats.
The Templates are markup-based, meaning that they can be any format, and are not based on any proprietary language. When a Content Class is used to create an instance, and there is a Template for the Content Class, the resulting instance is called a Page.
Using Content Classes to Create Pages
A Content Class can create an unlimited number of Pages, each with a unique set of content, but all having the content types specified in the Content Class, and sharing the layouts defined in the Templates. Here is an example to illustrate the relationship between a webpage and a Content Class. Start with a webpage in plain HTML. In HTML, the content and layout are fused.
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Since this is an HTML-formatted webpage with several different types of content, we will need to create a Content Class and a Template for that Content Class.
To create Elements for the content, we need to identify the types of content in the Page. This Page consists of some short text fields, longer text fields, images, and anchors. There are corresponding Placeholders for each of these types. These Placeholders are broken down into three categories: Content, Structure, and Meta. These types will be described in detail later.
In the Template for this Content Class, we can remove the content and insert the properly configured Placeholders.
This means that for each instance of the Content Class, the Template will organize and format the content into the HTML layout. The result is that webpages can now be built that will all share this layout, but will have unique sets of content. To modify the look and feel of the webpages, you only need to change the Template, and the Pages based on the Template will change as well.
Different general types of Content Classes
Since a Content Class usually represents only a portion of the design for a complete webpage, each Page is not the same thing as a webpage. A complete webpage will frequently consist of several Pages. In this example, the complete webpage is made up of 7 smaller Pages, the foundation or framework, left navigation, center content area, header, footer, and 2 right navigation blocks.
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Much of the task of configuring the Templates consists of identifying the different sections and content of webpages, so that the website can be most efficiently built. To this end, webpages can be broken down into Content, Structure/Organization, and Foundation.Pages centered around presentation of User -defined data are the Content-type Pages.
Pages centered around linking to or providing organization to other Pages are called Structure-type Pages.
The code structures that defines the layout of complete webpages are called Foundation-type Pages.
You will notice this naming convention used in the exercises. Using it will help you organize your own Content Classes.
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Folders and the Asset Manager
Objectives
• Definition of a Folder • Types of Folders
• Create Folders for the Project
Folders are used to provide organization for Content Classes and Digital Assets. When a Project is created it is usually given default folders for Content Classes, Files, and Images. In SmartTree Mode, under the Project Settings, these folders can be configured and more can be created. You can create as many folders as desired.
Asset (File) Folders
Each Asset Folder is displayed in the Administer Project Settings section of SmartTree for a Project.
From this location, files can be uploaded to the folder, and the folder settings can be configured. Asset Folders can be kept in the database, or they can be mapped to a folder in the file system of the server. You can move a folder the database to the file system, but not the other way around.
It is also important to note that files maintained in the file system will not be included in Project Exports. All Asset folders can be shared with other Projects, allowing either full or read-only access to the assets. RedDot CMS has a special interface called the Asset Manager that provides an intuitive, user-friendly environment for viewing and selecting files as content. This interface also allows you to create user-defined attributes for the content in the folder. This means that you can have text associated with the file, that can be used as content, or simply to help when searching for a file in the folder. An important note is that versioning of the assets, meaning the ability to roll back to previous versions of the files, is available only when using the Asset Manager, and only when using file system storage. You can reduce the number of versions stored at any time. Another important note is that you can nest folders underneath each other only when using the Asset Manager, and only when using file system storage. The Asset Manager interface can be configured on any Asset Folder.
In this exercise, we will use database storage for one folder, and file system storage on the others. We will also configure Asset Manager for the Image-based folders, where thumbnails would be important, but we will not implement it for the basic file folder.
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Create Project Folders
1. In SmartTree Mode, expand Administer Project Settings.
2. Expand the Folders node in the tree to see the available folders.
Each one is labeled with its type.
All the folders were by default, created in the database. This was done so that we can
enable versioning and folder nesting on it.
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3. Select the Images folder.
4. Click Transfer Data Storage in the Action Menu.
5. Click Select to search for the File System Path.
6. Browse to the desired folder (C:\CMSTrainingFiles...)by clicking the drive and folder names.
7. Select the desired folder with the radio button.
8. Click OK.
9. Leave the email defaults and click OK. You will be prompted with a Database Changes are Irreversible
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11. With the Images folder selected, click Edit Folder in the Action Menu. The Create/Edit Folder will
appear.
12. Select Asset Manager for Type.
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14. You can now enable versioning by selecting the Versioning checkbox.
15. Click OK.
The label on the folder will change to Asset Manager. You can now create a subfolder.
16. Click Create Subfolder in the Action Menu.
17. Enter Icons for the Name, and click in the text box for Directory Name for File System.
It will automatically take the name you just entered.
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18. Click OK.
The subfolder cannot be directly edited, and takes all the same properties of the parent
folder.
19. Select the Images folder.
20. Click Add Attribute in the Action Menu.
21. Enter Caption for the Name.
22. Click OK.
You will now be able to tag all content in the folder with this Attribute. Let's test this now.
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24. Click Edit Folder Content.
25. Click on Select File from Local File System and browse for a file (tasi1a.jpg).
You will be prompted to enter a Caption. You can leave this blank if you wish.
26. Enter a value of Taz for the Caption attribute.
27. Click OK.
The thumbnail view of the file appears in the main window.
28. Selecting the file name will select the image and show you information about it in the right side of the
Asset Manager, and will give you some options in the lower right side.Folders and the Asset Manager
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29. Selecting the image thumbnail itself will open up a full view of the image.
30. Click on Crop Image.
31. This will bring up a window that allows you to crop out any portions of the image that you like, and save
the file as itself, or as a new file.32. Click Cancel.
33. Click on Edit Attributes. This will bring up a window that allows you edit any User-defined attributes you
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34. Click OK.
35. Replace Thumbnail will allow you to browse for a separate thumbnail file for this image.
36. Refresh Thumbnail and File Information will simply update the window.
You do not need to do either of these at this time.
If you have not enabled Versioning, you will have the option to Update File, which will prompt
you to upload the same file. If you have enabled Versioning, you will need to Check Out the
file and save it locally before you can Check In the file, which will replace it and create a new
version. If you accidentally Check Out, you can Undo Check Out to fix it. With Versioning
enabled you can also Show Versions of the file, which will allow you to Preview old versions
and Reset Version to any previous version. You do not need to do any of these at this time.
Folders and the Asset Manager
